The story: Methotrexate is a cancer medicine. More recently, doctors have used it to treat other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. It works well for these other conditions if you take the medicine just once or twice a week, and in smaller doses. But if you take it every day by accident, you could be harmed. Sadly, some people have even died.
Read Safety ArticleSome prescription medicines can impair a person’s ability to drive. The 4 most common classes of medicines that cause impaired driving include: antidepressants, stimulants, sedatives, and opioids (narcotics). These medicines can make the driver sleepy, impair thinking, limit motor function, and/or make the driver more aggressive.
Read Safety ArticleIf you watch television, flip through magazines or newspapers, surf online, or listen to the radio, you are probably familiar with “direct-to-consumer” advertisements (ads) for prescription medicines. The US and New Zealand are the only two developed countries that allow drug companies to advertise prescription medicines directly to the public. These ads are popular with new medicines that treat chronic conditions such as diabetes and insomnia. In fact, 8 of the top 10 selling medicines in the US currently broadcast or publish at least one “direct-to-consumer” ad portraying happy and satisfied patients. It’s a big business, with drug companies spending an estimated $6.5 billion on “direct-to-consumer” ads in 2016 alone.
Read Safety ArticleCertain pharmacies, known as compounding pharmacies, can mix different ingredients together to produce a patient-specific product. Popular compounded products include pain creams and ointments that contain a combination of multiple potent medications. Many include drugs that can cause central nervous system depression or cardiac effects that result in slow breathing, a low heart rate or irregular beat, and drowsiness or a loss of consciousness. These drugs may include:
Read Safety ArticleMedicines all have one generic name and perhaps one or more brand names. The brand name is chosen by the drug company. The generic name is assigned by an official body, the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council. You probably know, for example, that Advil and Motrin are brand names for the generic medicine ibuprofen. Knowing that Advil, Motrin, and ibuprofen are all the same medicine alerts you to an important risk—that taking these medicines together could add up to an overdose.
Read Safety Article“Talk Before You Take” is a national awareness campaign launched by the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) to encourage and improve communications between healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients about the benefits and potential risks of prescription medicines.
Read Safety ArticleCVS brand of Arthritis Pain Relief extended-release tablets come in geltabs containing 650 mg of acetaminophen . A single dose is typically 650 mg, or one geltab. Several people who live in a retirement community reported that they found the markings on the geltabs that state “350” to be confusing (image below). Several thought the “350” designation on the tablet meant its strength—350 mg. They thought they had to take two of the geltabs as a single dose, but again were confused because two of the geltabs would equal 700 mg, not the 650 mg dose they thought they were supposed to take.
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